Anchor for guy-wires.



PATBNTED MAY 31,1904.

- B. WILBUR.

ANCHOR FOR GUY WIRES.

APPLICATION FILED P38. 9. 1904.

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UNITED STATES f Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

BURT WILBUR, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

ANCHOR FOR GUY-WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,277, dated May 31, 1904.

\ Application filed February 9,1904. Serial No. 192,807. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BURT WILBUR, of Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Anchors for Guy-Wires, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in anchors for guy-wires and similar holding devices, and refers more particularly to that class in which a suitable drive rod or head carrying folding flukes is driven or sunk into the earth without requiring any excavation therefor and is held in place by the unfolding or spreading of the flukes.

The object of my present invention is to construct the anchor in such manner that it may be driven or sunk into the earth with the flukes in their folded position and then expanded or unfolded without necessitating the partial withdrawal of the anchor and whereby the mere act of spreading or unfolding the flukes causes the anchor to sink deeper into the earth.

Another object is to permit thefiukes to be folded while still embedded in the earth, so

that the anchor may be withdrawn and reused in another locality, if desired.

Other objects and uses will appear in th following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved anchor shown as embedded in the earth with the flukes expanded. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1, showing the anchor proper in top plan with the flukes expanded. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of my improved anchor, showing the flukes in their folded position ready to be driven or inserted into the earth. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the rod, taken on line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In carrying out the objects stated a driverod 1 of suitable length and material is provided at its lower end with a conical drivingpoint 2, which is adapted to be driven into the earth a suitable distance, while its upper end is adapted to protrude slightly above the surface of the earth and is formed with an aperture 3 to receive one end of the part to be anchored, such as a guy-wire 4, which may be used as a retainer for telegraph and similar poles to hold the same in an upright position.

The rod 1 is preferably formed of wrought iron or steel, and in this instance is solid and is of suflicient strength to permit the anchor to be driven into the earth or in some instances a hole may be previously made in the earth by some other instrument without necessitating any excavation, and the anchor may be inserted in this hole with the flukes in the folded position and afterward spread out or expanded to hold the drive-rod from accidental withdrawal.

The drive-point 2 on the lower end of the rod is in this instance provided witha threaded socket in its upper end, and the lowerextremity of the rod is similarly threaded and.

screwed into the threaded socket of the point 2, and the two parts are then looked together by the key or pin 5, which is passed through transverse apertures in the point 2 and adja: cent end of the rod 1.

The object of making the points separate from the rod 1 is that the rod may be made of stock steel or wrought-iron, while the point 2 may be made of hardened steel, thereby avoiding waste of stock and permitting the point to be more readily hardened than would be the case if it was formed integral with the drive-rod.

The lower end of the rod 6 immediately above the point 2 is preferably smooth, and upon this'smooth portion of the rod is rotatably mounted a head 7, which is also free to slide endwise on the smooth part 6. The portion of the rod immediately above the smooth part 6 is threaded for forming a screw 8, upon which is rotatingly mounted a threaded head or nut 9. It is now seen that two rotary heads are mounted upon the lower end of the rod 1 above the point 2 and that both are movable endwise on the rod, the head or nut 9 being immediately above the head 7.

A series of folding flukes or wings 10, in this instance three, are pivotal] y connected at their inner or upper ends at 11 to thehead 9 and radiate from said head substantially equidistant from each other and in about the same horizontal plane. The outer ends of these flukes or wings are free to move in vertical planes on their pivots 11 to and from a substantially horizontal position-and are each connected by a link 12 to the lower head 7, the lower ends of the links 1% being pivoted at 13 to the head 7, and their upper ends are pivoted at 14 to the free ends of the flukes or wings 10. It is now apparent that each fluke or wing is connected by a flexing joint to the lower and upper heads 7 and 9 and that each wing or fluke, with its connecting-link 12, forms a toggle, and it therefore follows that both heads are connected and rotate together upon the rod 1, so that before the anchor is placed in the ground these heads may be rotated to bring the flukes 10 and links 12 to their innermost or folded position, as seen in Fig. 3, in which the flexing joints lie close to the rod, or the rod 1 may be rotated in said heads to accomplish the same purpose, although this operation is slower than the former, it being understood that in either case the screw 8 operates to force the head 9 endwise.

This anchor is inserted into the ground with the flukes 10 and links 12 in their folded position, as seen in Fig. 3, and the heads 7 and 9 are therefore held from rotation by frictional engagement with the surrounding earth, so that in order to expand the same it is necessary to rotate the drive-rod 1, and the upper portion of the said drive-rod is angular in cross-section to permit the application of a suitable wrench or other tool whereby the rod may be rotated.

In the operation of my invention assume that the flukes are in their closed position, as seen in Fig. 3, in which position the anchor is driven into the ground, and the driverod 1 is then rotated to rotate the screw 8, and thereby force the head 9 downwardly, which, in conjunction with the links 12, operate to bring said flukes to a substantially horizontal position, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, it being understood that the lower head 7 is prevented from downward movement by contact with the upper end of the point 2.

The intermediate portions of the flukes or wings 10 are flattened horizontally, as best seen in Fig. 2, so as to open fiatwise against the earth, and are movable to and from a substantially horizontal position by means of the screw 8, nut 9, and links 12.

When the anchor is inserted into the ground in its folded or collapsed position and the rod 1 is rotated to force the nut 9 downwardly, the flexing joints between the flukes and links are forced laterally into the surrounding earth, and owing to the fact that the upper faces of the flukes are substantially broad and flat and that they are forced from an almost vertical position to a substantially horizontal position it is apparent that the impact of theflat surfaces with the superimposed earth while the flukes are being unfolded operates to force the anchor deeper into the earth or at least facilitates the downward movement of the nut, as it is evident that the oblique position of the flukes tends to wedge in under the superimposed earth.

The inner ends of the flukes are inserted in slots in the head or nut 9 between suitable ears which receive the pivots 11, and the outer ends of the flukes are bifurcated and receive the upper ends of the links 12, while the lower ends of the links are inserted in slots in the driving-point 2 between suitable ears which receive the pivots 13; but it is evident that the construction just described may be varied without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The object of making the lower head 7 movable axially on the rod 1 is that if excessive resistance is offered to the insertion of the anchor into the ground by reason of contact with stones or hard-pan the impact against the lower edges of the links and also against the lower face of the head 7 will cause the head to rise, and thereby elevate the outer ends of the flukes more quickly than could'be accomplished by the screw. Another advantage is that when the device is inserted into the earth and the rod rotated to expand the flukes and it is found that the anchor is not sufficiently secured by reason of the fact that the flukes are not brought to a horizontal position the rod may be driven into the earth farther, and as it is being driven the impact of the underlying earth against the lower faces of the links and lower head will force the lower head upwardly, and thereby further elevate the outer ends of the flukes until they are brought to a horizontal position.

If it is desired for any reason toremove the anchor from the earth, it is simply necessary to rotate the rod 1 by means of a suitable tool, or by hand if possible, in such direction as to elevate the nut 9, and thereby draw the folding flukes back to their folded position, the same as when inserted into the ground, whereupon the anchor may be readily withdrawn from the earth and reused in another location, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An anchor for guy-wires consisting of a rod threaded a portion of its length, lower and upper heads both rotatable on the rod, the upper head movable axially and constituting a nut engaged with the threaded portion on the rod, flukes hinged to the upper head and connected by a flexing joint to the lower head.

2. An anchor adapted to be inserted in the earth and comprising a rod and two heads rotatingly mounted on the rod one above the 4. Ananchor for the purpose described consisting of a threaded rod, a rotatable head on the lower end of the rod, a nut engaging the threaded portion of the rod, a flat fluke hinged to the nut and swinging flatwise therefrom, and a link pivoted to the head and to the free end of the fluke.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of January, 1904:.

BURT WILBUR.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHAsE, MILDRED M. NoTT. 

